Smoked Salmon and Caper Tart

, from Issue #17. September, 2015
Photography by Vanessa Wu.
Smoked Salmon and Caper Tart

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

Pastry
225 grams flour
170 grams butter, diced and chilled
pinch of salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons iced water

Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 handfuls of baby spinach
3 eggs
1 cup crème fraîche
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons capers, drained
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
200 grams hot smoked salmon
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

To finish
small handful rocket leaves
1⁄4 cup black olives
shaved Parmesan

METHOD

Pastry: Place the flour, butter, salt, pepper and thyme leaves in a food processor and process until the mixture forms fine crumbs. Combine the egg yolk and water and add to the flour. Process until the dough just starts to come together. Tip onto the bench and form into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured bench and line a 24 cm loose-based tart tin. Refrigerate until firm.

Preheat the oven to 200 ̊C.

Bake the tart blind* for 20 minutes, remove the baking beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes. Cool.

Filling: Heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook the spring onions, leek and garlic until soft. Fold in the spinach and turn to wilt. Cool.

Whisk the eggs, crème fraîche, lemon zest, flat-leaf parsley and the capers together. Add the cooled leek mixture and season. Pour into the tart. Break the salmon into pieces and scatter over the top. Dot with the tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until just set.

To serve: When the tart has cooled transfer it to a serving plate. Scatter over the rocket, olives and shaved Parmesan and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. 

*Bake blind: line a prepared pastry case with baking paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. The beans support the pastry as it cooks. Bake in a preheated 190oC - 200oC oven for up to 20 minutes before removing the paper and weights. The shell should now have taken form. Proceed with the recipe.

Mother's Day Lunch Menu: Serve with the Tomato and Broad Bean Salad with Parmesan Dressing and Sticky Toffee Ginger Cake with Caramel Icing to finish.